Sublime to the ridiculous – Elizabeth David and the guilty pleasures of television.

Elizabeth David.

I would have to describe myself as a bibliophile and, like many of us who are interested in food, have more than my fair share of cookery books.

Elizabeth David probably made the biggest contribution (post World War II) to the way we eat and for bringing to our attention Mediterranean ingredients that we take for granted today and we owe her so much. We have her to thank for bringing us olive oil, vegetables like peppers, courgettes, Parmesan cheese - I could drone on but will resist the urge. There are two books that I would recommend. The first is her authorised biography “Writing at the Kitchen Table” by Artemis Cooper. This book does what is says on the tin and is a comprehensive and compelling read. The second is “An Omelette and a Glass of Wine” (Omelette) by the lady herself, helped by Jill Norman. It's a collection of all sorts of bits and pieces from her articles and experiences. Elizabeth wrote for many prestigious publications - Vogue and The Spectator to name but two.

Here's how my history trail unfolds. Page 34 of Omelette is entitled “Big Bad Bramleys”. This article talks about (as you may have guessed) the Bramley apple but it also talks about Eliza Acton and her recipe for apple sauce. This recipe is a must for anyone who wants a serious apple sauce whether for use in sweet or savoury dishes. There's no big secret other than the key is in the preparation of the apples. To give perspective, Eliza Acton's book “Modern Cookery for private families” was first published in 1845.

I suppose my conclusion is that if you like history too then it's a double whammy and both Elizabeth David books mentioned should, in my view, form part of your library.

Apple Sauce

Eliza Acton via Elizabeth David

Pre-heat oven to 160 fan. Grease a glass dish with butter.

This sauce is so easy – the only emphasis is on the preparation of the apples. All the peel and core must be removed. There are no amounts here, you can cook as much sauce as you like and it freezes well. Peel, core and slice your apples as thinly and evenly as possible.

Place your apples in your dish and cover with a lid or foil – NO WATER, SUGAR OR ANYTHING ELSE.

Bake for 20-30 minutes. Check after 20. Apples should be soft. Here's the satisfying bit – whisk the apples until they begin to break up, sprinkle with caster sugar plus a generous knob of unsalted butter, whisk again – enjoy.

You can use this sauce for loads of recipes – I use it as an addition to my vegetarian stuffing at Christmas.

Apples sauce, like chicken soup, has an age old reputation for comfort.

The guilty pleasure of television.

In this day and age we are swamped, nay drowning in cookery programmes. Back in the day I watched the original Masterchef when Loyd Grossman hosted and would even confess to catching the odd episode of Ready Steady Cook. These days my guilty pleasure is limited to three shows, The Great British Bake-off and the other two are Australian. Masterchef Australia which began in 2009. This show is compulsive cooking entertainment. It's a knock-out competition with increasingly difficult challenges along the way, for ordinary home cooks. What sets it apart is the hosts who are excellent. It's an exciting journey with bumps along the way – some of the contestants you'll warm to, others not - yet again it's personal. More recently and by accident I came across My Kitchen Rules (MKR). The format is different from Masterchef in that it is teams of two, competing from different states in Australia and begins with an instant restaurant in the respective teams' homes. Masterchef Australia begins around August/September until Christmas. MKR is running as we speak. There's nothing wrong with a little light relief.

Whether it's reading serious books or watching frivolous tv programmes, a little bit of what you fancy does you good.